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The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has acknowledged a significant issue within its grant payment system, revealing that approximately 75,000 deceased beneficiaries received payments over a one-year period.
This admission comes as SASSA presented its audit action plan to Parliament’s portfolio committee on social development on Wednesday.
SASSA Chief Financial Officer Tsakeriwa Chauke explained that the agency paid out a total of R140 million to these deceased individuals during the 2023/24 financial year.
“We acknowledge that during the 2023/24 financial year, SASSA inadvertently paid out a total of R140 million to deceased grant recipients,”
“This concerning situation is attributed to a combination of factors, including the inherent delays in the registration of deaths with the Department of Home Affairs and certain limitations within our current payment processing system.” admitted SASSA Chief Financial Officer Tsakeriwa Chauke during the parliamentary briefing.
Despite this revelation, SASSA highlighted a significant decrease in irregular expenditure, which dropped from R1.8 billion in the 2018/19 financial year to R1.1 million in 2024/25. The agency credits this reduction to improved oversight and training in supply chain management.
The Auditor-General’s report also identified several material irregularities in the 2023/24 financial statements, including payments made to the controversial Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) and overpayments to ineligible applicants for the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant. SASSA stated that these matters are currently being addressed through legal channels and investigations.
SASSA is urging beneficiaries to ensure that deaths are reported promptly to both the Department of Home Affairs and the agency to minimize the occurrence of such incidents in the future. The agency maintains its commitment to improving its systems and ensuring the efficient and accurate distribution of social grants to those who genuinely need them
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